"I've always believed that @BajpayeeManoj and his amazing range have often gone unheralded. This actor deserves the best," Mehta tweeted on Saturday.
Manoj started his career with a television serial "Swabhimaan" and later went on to do small roles in films like "Dastak" and "Bandit Queen". He got his big break in the 1998 crime film "Satya". He even won a National Film Award for his role as Bhiku Mhatre.
He again received a National Film Award for his role in the film "Pinjar". He is also appreciated for his roles in "Shool" and "Gangs of Wasseypur".
And Mehta himself has teamed up with Manoj to open a sensitive chapter with homosexuality in the spotlight on the silver screen.
Set in a town in Uttar Pradesh from which the film takes its name, "Aligarh" is the story of a professor (played by Manoj) fired for his sexuality and a young journalist (essayed by Rajkumar Rao) who tells his story to the world.
It is slated to release in February next year.
